I rode today and as my experience grows, I am trying new stuff just as everyone else does. I was riding in this area where some bmx’rs have made some, I guess, you would call them moguls. They are basically 2 to three foot mounds that have a small base and rise quickly.
I was trying to ride two of them consecutively and after the second, I lost it just as I came over the top.
So, I fell forward and down the slope of the mound at the same time. For a second, I considered tucking and rolling as the momentum carried me off the Muni. I came off landing, forced to run to keep my legs under me. I nearly lost it, but managed to stay up on my legs. I was bent over initially, but managed to recover.
I was moving quickly and I had two choices at that moment. One was to bank my shoulder down and tuck and role, or try REAL hard to stay on my legs. Afterward, I was glad I didn’t tuck and role. All I could think, was that I probably would have smashed my shoulder into the ground. Then I thought of John Drummond.
I have never had this occur before. I have done many tuck and roles off the Muni before, but this one was different.
Anyone have a general rule of thumb as to what to do on UPD’s?
‘> I was moving quickly and I had two choices at that moment. One was to
> bank my shoulder down and tuck and role, or try REAL hard to stay on my
> legs. Afterward, I was glad I didn’t tuck and role. All I could think,
> was that I probably would have smashed my shoulder into the ground. Then
> I thought of John Drummond.’
That is EXACTLY what happened to me, right down to it being on a bmx track
mound. You were right no stay on your feet, I don’t even wanna think about
how much it hurt when I hit the ground shoulder first. It happened 6 weeks
ago and I only got back on a uni a few days ago, and I still haven’t had a
single minute without my shoulder hurting in one way or another. At best I
have a dull ache 24/7. Though it is improving daily, and I should be off the
physio’s list in two weeks at most.
That said I didn’t have the choice to try and land on my feet and who knows,
a feet first landing might have sent me off to hospital with a broken leg. I
don’t think you can ever really say for sure what would have definatly
happened in these situations. When I was a kid a suffered a compound
fracture of my ankle because a missed my footing stepping off a kerb, yet I
have had a lot of major falls and come out just fine. Luck of the draw I
think. And not necessarily a bad thing. That might sound odd but while I
have been dealing with severe pain initially down too simply annoying pain
today my knees haven’t felt this good for a few years, they are pretty much
pain free all the time. This injury was just the break they needed
The Munieer said…
'Anyone have a general rule of thumb as to what to do on UPD’s? ’
Yep. Whatever comes natural. Trying to think how to land while falling will
usually make you land with a fair bigger splat than simply reacting. Your
brain and nerves just cannot process information that fast. You have already
hit the ground before your brain has had a chance to decide. Thinking while
falling also causes you to tense up, which increases the chance of, and
severity of injuries. Instead, do some exercise that will help protect your
body. Warm up and stretch, improve your muscle tone with weights or other
exercise. The stretchier your limbs and back, and the stronger your muscles,
the more impact and force they can take before ligaments, tendons and muscle
starts to tear. Therefore the lesser your chance of injury. Such exercises
will also improve your reaction times.
Another useful option is taking up something like Judo, and improving your
instinctive falling skills.
I try to land somewhere on my protection. I’ve dropped
down to my knees and slid along the (flat) ground on
my leg armor, landed on my elbow/forearm padding,
and also on my wrist guards. Mostly I go slowly in areas
where I think I might fall so my momentum doesn’t
make the landing worse.
